Salem’s Kelley Library open for business after electrical fire

SALEM - An electrical fire on the first floor of the Kelley Library Monday afternoon forced the evacuation of about 30 people and kept the library closed for a little over an hour.The small fire was the result of a malfunctioning heating and cooling unit in the children's room on the first floor.Everyone evacuated the building around 12:30 when patrons and staff first noticed the smell of smoke.No children were in the children's room at the time of the incident, according to library director Alison Baker.“It was around lunch time, so it was pretty quiet,” she said.Baker said the evacuation was orderly and everyone left the building safely.“We all know what we are supposed to do and trained to do,” she said.The library reopened about an hour after the fire department arrived, although the children's room remained closed for the remainder of Monday to help air out the lingering odor of smoke.“The children's room was closed only because of the lingering odor; there was no risk,” Baker said.By Tuesday, Baker said the air conditioner that had malfunctioned was being repaired and the library was open for business.No library materials were damaged as a result of the fire, she said.